Tag: Mediterranean Sea

An eight-meter sperm whale was found dead off the Italian island of Sardinia with 22kg of plastic in its belly, AP reported on Tuesday. The World Wildlife Foundation (WWF) sounded the alarm over plastics in the Mediterranean Sea following the finding.

Royal Navy patrol ship has been sent to the English Channel to deter migrant crossings, the Ministry of Defense has confirmed. Defense Secretary Gavin Williamson said HMS Mersey would “help prevent migrants from making the dangerous journey”.

Italy has dispatched two ships to help take 629 migrants stuck off its shores to Spain after the new populist government refused them safe port in a bid to force Europe to share the burden of unrelenting arrivals. The rescue ship Aquarius has been stuck since Saturday in international waters off the coast of Italy and Malta, both of which have refused it entry. The ship is carrying 629 migrants including 123 unaccompanied minors, 11 children and six pregnant women.

Spain will welcome a ship with 629 migrants aboard after Italy and Malta refused to let the vessel dock in their ports. The migrants were saved by the French charity SOS Mediterranee on Saturday and were stranded in the Mediterranean Sea when Matteo Salvini, the new Italian interior minister, reportedly refused to allow the vessel to dock at Italian ports.

Costa Crociere to welcome four new cruise ships by 2021. Between 2019 and 2021 four new ships will enter service with the Italian cruise line, based in Genoa, Italy, for an overall increase in passenger capacity of 43%. In February 2019, the company will welcome the new Costa Venezia, currently under construction at the Fincantieri plant in Monfalcone.

BP announced on Friday that it has agreed to buy from Eni a 10% interest in the Shorouk concession offshore Egypt, which contains the super-giant Zohr gas field, for US$375 million. On closing, BP will also reimburse Eni for BP's share of past expenditure. As part of the agreement, BP also has an option before the end of 2017 to buy a further 5% interest in the concession under the same terms.

Egypt plans to build a new Suez Canal alongside the existing 145-year-old historic waterway in a multi-billion dollar project aimed at expanding trade along the fastest shipping route between Europe and Asia.